Network switches, such as bridges and routers, forward packets through a network based on addresses in the packets. A network switch typically includes a plurality of ports coupled to different network links. The network switch may receive a packet via one port and process address information in a header of the packet to decide via which other port or ports the network switch should transmit the packet. The network switch then transmits the packet via the determined one or more other ports. With a multicast packet, the network switch may need to duplicate the packet many times and transmit multiple instances of the multicast packet via multiple ports.